Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals: What Does It Take To Be His Sidekick?

Action-movie fans everywhere are getting ready to welcome Arnold Schwarzenegger back this weekend with the release of “The Last Stand,” his first non-“Expendables” role and turn as a leading man since leaving political office.

Schwarzenegger stars as former LAPD legend Ray Owens, who now works as a sheriff of a small town. Naturally, Owens has to return to his tough-guy roots when a group of deadly mercenaries threaten the safety and civility of his small town. Owens is reluctantly forced to enlist the help of his trusty sidekick, wannabe policeman Lewis Dinkum (Johnny Knoxville), which got us thinking: What makes a good sidekick?

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“The important thing is that you click, that he is as enthusiastic about the mission,” Schwarzenegger told MTV News, speaking specifically about his character and Knoxville’s. “He has a different approach to how he accomplishes the same goal as I have. I’m a very disciplined law-enforcement guy, and he’s kind of a lunatic.”

“I’ve been dying to be on the force my whole life, but I’m a little too mercurial to be included,” Knoxville added. “It was the greatest day of my life when I was asked to join the force.”

Finally, we asked the veteran action star what the average person would need to do to become a worthy sidekick, and to hear it from Schwarzenegger, you have to be able to do a lot more than meets the eye.

“All you have to do is gain 50 pounds of muscles, gain a little bit in height and in your acting [abilities],” he advised. “Be able to do the stunts, throw yourself around, be able to fall off buildings, be able to be shot at, all these kinds of things.”

See how Knoxville fares as Schwarzenegger’s sidekick in “The Last Stand” when it hits theaters Friday.